Automatic railway-switch.



No.v 858,219. PATENTBD JUNE 25, 1907. J. G. RYAN.

AU'I'GMATIG RAILWAY-SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED 0012.25, 190e.

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JOHN o. RYAN, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1907.

Application led October 25,1906. Serial No. 340,498.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN G. RYAN, of the city of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Autoe matic Railway-Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic switches and its object is to provide a simple, inexpensive and efiicient switch throwing device adapted to be operated by an approachingl car or train.

A further object is to provide means whereby a car may run through the switch from the heel without injuring the throat.

To accomplish these objects I provide an inclosed rotatable disk having an eccentric track thereon, said track being engaged by a tensioned roller bearing bar suitably connected to the switch points. The rotatable disk is provided with a plurality of arms adapted to be engaged by an adjustable member mounted on a car and shifted a sufficient distance to change the set of the switch.

In the drawings which illustrate my invention :M Figure 1 is a plan View of the device showing the relative position of the parts. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the casing broken away to show the mechanism. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view looking toward the switch points. Fig. 4 is an enlarged reverse plan of the rotatable member and shows the eccentric track. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the operating slot and shows the snow gate. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of one of the rollers.

In the above defined figures, which show the device adapted to a street railway switch, 1 designates the main line rails, 2 the siding rails, and 3 the switch point. A circular casing 4 is located between the rails and contains the switch throw member 5 withits arms 6. The arms 6 are curved at 7 so that after the disk has been shifted sufficiently to set the switch, the actuating member in the car will remain in contact with the portion 8 of the arm long enough to insure a perfectly set switch. This device obviates all danger of the switch springing back when rapidly set. The extremities of the arms are provided with shoes 9 which bear on the casing 4 and on the interior flange 10 integral therewith, and brace the arms. The arms are further attached to the member 5, as shown in Eig. 1, where it will be seen each arm is practically braced against the remaining one, thus reducing the strain on the rivets. The lower side of the member 5 is provided with an eccentric track 11, shaped approximately as shown in Fig. 4. The portions 12 of the track 11 operate the mechanism to open the switch, while the portions 13 operate to close the switch. The crown of the portion 12 is provided with a slight depression 14, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained. The member 5 is pivoted on the pin 15 and supported by the post 16. The tension rod 17 is slotted at 18 to pass around the pin 15 and carries a pair of rollers 19 secured thereto by lister head screws 20 and nuts 21. The portion of the rod 17 in engagement with the member 5 is flat, but the remaining portion which passes out of the casing 4 and engages the spring 22, is round. The extremity of this round portion is threaded to engage a nut 23 by means of which the tension of the spring 22 may be regulated. This spring is inclosed in a housing 24. Pivoted to the opposite extremity of the rod 17 is a second rod 25, provided with an adjustable spring abutment 26, and sliding in the hollow portion 27 of the rod 28. A helical spring 26a is located between the abutment 26 and the end of the rod 28 to provide a yieldable resistance to a car running through the heel of the switch. The rod 28 is pivoted to one arm of a pivoted bell-crank lever 29 inclosed in a casing 30. The other arm of the lever is pivoted to a switch throw-bar 31 which is attached to the switch point 3. Both arms of the lever 29 are slotted where the pivots engage them to take up the radial motion.

The cover 32 of the casing 4 is provided with an upwardly-extending portion 33 having therein a slot or channel 34 through which the pedal member 34a of the car passes when in engagement with the arms 6. The bottom ofthe slot 34 is closed by a pair of downwardly opening doors or gates 35 which prevent the entrance of snow or other foreign matter. The gates 35 are normally maintained closed by springs 36. Both of the rods 29 and 31 are incased in tubular housing 37 and 38 respectively.

The operation of the device is as follows When a car is approaching a switch which IOO member attached to the car in line with the slot 34. The pedal member descends through the slot, opening the doors 35 and engaging one of the arms 6 which are set at an angle of 45 degrees to the axis of the track 11 to irasure contact through an arc of 90 degrees. The advancing pedal member carries the arm withit until the same has moved through an angle of 90 degrees, when thev pedal member engages the portion 8 of the arms holding the switch in position until the parts of the mechanism adjust themselves to the new relation. The partial rotation of the disk 5 moves the track 11, the spring 22 causing the roller bearing bar 17 to shift so as to keep one of the rollers 19 constantly in contact with the track 1 1. The depression 14 in the crown of the portion 12 of the track 11, receives the roller 19 and prevents it from slipping out of place. The movement of the rod 17 causes the switch point 3 to shift through the medium of the rods 28 and 31 and the bellcrank lever 29. If a car runs through the heel of the switch, the rods 31 and 28 and bell-crank lever 29 move, such movement being taken up by the spring 26, thus protecting the mechanism from injury.

The advantages of the device are numerous, and will be obvious to railway men. The whole device is inclosed in a protective casing which prevents the mechanism from becoming clogged with dirt, snow or ice, and allows of its being used under the severest weather conditions. The parts are few in number, simple and strong, and may be quickly and easily replaced or repaired if damaged. It will be obvious from the foregoing description that cars can run through the heel of the switch without danger of straining or breaking the mechanism.

Having thus described my invention so that the same may be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an automatic switch, a rotatable member, an eccentric track thereon, a reciprocatable member, a pair of rollers mounted thereon and engagingk opposite sides of said track, a spring tensioning said reciprocatable member, means connecting said reciprocatable member and switch point, and means car- 1ilied by a car for engaging said rotatable mem- 2. In an automatic switch, a rotatable member, an approximately elliptical track thereon, de ressions in said track at the extremities o its minor and major axes, a reciprocatable member, means mounted on said member adapted to engage the track, a spring tensioning said member, means connecting said reciprocatable member and switch point, and means carried by a car for engaging said rotatable member. Y

3. In an automatic switch, a rotatable member, an eccentric track on one side of said member, a plurality of radial arms on the other side of said member, a reciprocatable member, means mounted on said member adapted to engage the track, a spring tensigning said member, means connecting said reciprocatable member and s witch point, and means carried by a car for engaging saidrotatable member.

4. In an automatic? switch, a rotatable member, a track mounted thereon, a plurality of radial arms attached to said member, shoes at the extremities of said arms, a tensioned reciprocatablemembenmeans mounted thereon for engaging said track, means connecting said reciprocatable member and switch point, and means carried by a car for engaging said rotatable member.

5. In an automatic switch, a rotatable member, a track mounted thereon, a plurality of radial arms fixed to said rotatable'gmember, a tensioned reciprocating member, means mounted thereon for engaging said track, a casing inclosing said mechanism, a slot in the top thereof, a pair of gates adapted to close said slot, springs normally maintaining said gates closed, yieldable means connecting said reciprocating member and the switch point, and means carried by a car adapted to enter said slot and engage said radial arms.

6. In an automatic switch, a rotatable member, an elevated track on one side thereof, a plurality of radial arms on the opposite side thereof, a tensioned reciprocatable member, means mounted thereon for engaging opposite sides of said track, means connecting said reciprocatable member and the switch point, and means carried by a car for engaging the radial arms.

7. In an automatic switch, a rotatable member, a raised track on one side thereof, a plurality of shoe-bearing radial arms on the opposite side thereof, a tensioned reciprocaengaging opposite sides of said track, a casing inclosing said mechanism, a slot in the top thereof, spring actuated gates normally closing said slot, yieldable means connecting said reciprocatable member and the switch point, and means carried by a car adapted to traverse said slot and engage the radial arms.

8. In an automatic switch, a rotatable member, an eccentric track on one sidel thereof, a plurality of radial arms curved toward their extremities to be tangential to saidrotatable member on the opposite side thereof, shoes o n the extremities of the arms, a tened thereon'for engaging opposite sides of said table member, rollers mounted thereon for sioned reciprocatable member, rollers mount- IOO IIO

track, a casing nolosng said mechanism, a slot n the top thereof, spring actuated gates normally closing said slot, yeldable means connecting said reoprooatable member and the switch point, and means carried by a car adapted to traverse said slot and engage the radial arms.

JOHN G. RYAN.

Witnesses:

C. W. TAYLOR, WM. G. ARMSTRONG. 

